épater la bourgeoisie

A form of épater le bourgeois — To scandalize, provoke the middle class.

OriginFrench épater →
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Meanings

verbépater le bourgeoisie
  1. alternativeliteraryAlternative form of épater le bourgeois.

Origin

  1. Frenchépater“amaze”
  2. Englishépater la bourgeoisie

Borrowed from French épater (“amaze”) la (“the”) bourgeoisie (“middle class”).

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

épater la bourgeoisie. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/%C3%A9pater%20la%20bourgeoisie

MLA

“épater la bourgeoisie.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/%C3%A9pater%20la%20bourgeoisie. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “épater la bourgeoisie,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/%C3%A9pater%20la%20bourgeoisie.

Source: épater la bourgeoisie on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.